How To Fake Like You've Watched Party Down

For all you Party Down virgins, here's a spoiler heavy list that will help you hold your own with even the most hardcore Party Down fans. Ideally, you won't read this and actually spend the time to watch the entire series, but I understand you're busy and want to feel "in the know" so here is my gift to you cheaters out there.

• 1) Understand the general premise

  

  The show follows Party Down Catering which caters a different party or event every episode. The staff is almost entirely actors who are just working until they get their big break.

• 2) Know a little bit about Henry, Casey, and Ron

  Although every character is awesome in his or her own way, you should start with the basics.

• Henry Pollard

  

  Our protagonist, Henry used to have dreams but as the show begins he has recently given up on a successful life, resorting to becoming a professional caterer. Being witty, cool, attractive, and depressed end up causing the female lead, Casey Klein, as well as audiences to fall in love with him.  Fast Facts:  -His catchphrase is "Are we having fun yet?" which is from a beer commercial he starred in that ruined his career
  -His character dates Kristen Bells' character "Uda Bengt" for awhile
  -Smokes Parliaments
  -He can do no wrong

• Casey Klein

  

  Casey maintains a "tough girl" front but is really quite sweet. She has aspirations to become a professional comedian but her "big breaks" seem to consistently fall through without fail. She leaves Henry in Season 1 to pursue her comedy career but by the end of the series it's pretty clear the two have ended up together. Fast Facts:  -Was almost in a Judd Apatow film before her scene got cut
  -Broke off an engagement at the beginning of Season 1
  -While especially flustered she'll often yell, "God dammit!"

• Ron Donald

  

  Ron is a lovable goof who for the majority of the series acts as Team Leader for the Party Down crew. He is often caught in embarrassing "pie in his face" situations such as in the first episode when he is trying to clean a stain off his pants in the client's bathroom and it looks very much like he's jacking off into the mirror. Fast Facts:  -Initially has dreams to open a Soup R' Crackers franchise and leave Party Down but when his dreams come true and his franchise fails he is forced to return
  -Often refers to himself as "New Ron" since he comes from a past of alcohol and drugs but now he is uncomfortably clean cut
  -Has a system called RDDs which can either stand for Ron Donald Do or Ron Donald Don't. Employees often get confused when Ron gives them RDDs because they're not sure if he meant it positively or negatively

• 3) Know at least 1 sentence about the rest of the Party Down caterers

• Roman DeBeers

  

  Sci-fi nerd who likes to think of himself as an intellectual that is smarter than you.

• Defining Roman Video

• Kyle Bradway

  

  Kyle, as Henry puts it, is in the "all around handsome business" and is an aspiring actor and musician who isn't all too bright.

• Defining Kyle Video

• Constance Carmell

  

  Constance thrives in the absurd from serenading party hosts to barnyard animal impersonations such as in the video above.

• Defining Constance Video

• Lydia Dunfree

  

  Lydia was Constance's replacement after Season 2, she was essentially a watered down Constance that was never fully embraced by the rest of the team.

• Defining Lydia Video

• 4) Learn how to say "Are we having fun yet?"

• As mentioned above "Are we having fun yet?" is from a "whasssup" style beer commercial that made Henry micro-famous for awhile but ultimately ruined his career. He does not enjoy people recognizing him from the commercial and will almost never say the catchphrase despite people asking him to do it fairly frequently. Essentially if all you say in a Party Down conversation is this phrase you'll still do pretty well.

• 5) Relate the show to Arrested Development

  

  Fans love to say that the show was just like Arrested Development or at the very least its cancellation was just as sad as when AD was cut down in its prime.  If you want to point out a specific difference:  Arrested Development focuses more on straight hilarity with absurd characters that you half-heartedly feel for while Party Down has less absurd characters that you legitimately care about.

• 6) Be mad that Glee stole Jane Lynch

  

  As mentioned above Jane Lynch was the "absurd" character on Party Down where many of the best jokes came from. Her departure was a pretty big hit to the show and although Megan Mullally is great, it just wasn't quite the same.

• 7) Blame the cancellation on Starz's low subscription numbers

  

  Never ever ever say that the cancellation or the low ratings were the fault of the show. Swear nobody watched the show because it was on Starz which has a very small subscription base and not because the show isn't amazing.

• Now you're ready to party down and discuss Party Down at parties!